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The  Point 


Aug.  29,  2008 
Issue  No.  1 


Fitchburg  State  College's  student  newspaper 


FSC  FILE  PHOTO 


Orientation  leaders  put  team  spirit,  friendship  and  fun  on  the  agenda  as  a  new  semester  begins. 


New  here?  Follow  the  leaders 


By  Jacob  Hart 

Getting  to  know  your  roommates, 
going  out  to  your  first  college  party,  or 
talking  to  that  really  cute  girl  or  guy  may 
be  the  on  the  list  of  priorities  to  begin 
your  college  experience,  but  don't  miss 
out  getting  to  know  your  orientation 
leaders. 

Your  first  experiences  with  them  may 
feel  like  a  trip  back  to  the  past  when  Ms. 
Riley,  your  second-grade  teacher,  made 
you  play  awkward  ice  breakers.  But  once 
you  get  to  know  them,  you  can  really 
learn  a  lot  from  them  -  especially  since 
most  of  them  are  considered  to  be  leaders 
at  Fitchburg  State  College. 

"Orientation  is  a  great  opportunity 
to  meet  many  different  people  and  start 
friendships  that  may  last  you  years,"  said 
Christopher  Ashley,  who  served  as  an 
orientation  leader  in  Fall  2007. 


FSC  FILE  PHOTO 
Making  friends  is  easy  at  orientation. 

It  also  offers  a  great  opportunity  for 
the  upper  classmen  who  take  a  highly 
involved  role  in  the  campus  to  find  other 


people  who  may  share  their  own  values. 

This  year's  orientation  takes  place 
Aug.  31 -Sept.  2,  and  follows  the  theme 
"Citizenship  in  the  World." 

While  a  lot  of  college  freshman  tend 
to  feel  nervous  about  this  new  phase  of 
life,  orientation  can  speed  up  the  process 
of  meeting  new  friends  and  getting  used 
to  new  surroundings. 

"Orientation  is  truly  one  of  the  best 
ways  to  meet  people  and  find  people  to 
hang  out  with,"  said  Nicoletta  Amato, 
one  of  this  year's  orientation  leaders. 

Amato  admits  that  one  of  the  reasons 
she  is  an  orientation  leader  is  because  it 
looks  really  good  on  a  resume.  But,  she 
said,  the  main  reason  is  that  she  loves  the 
experience. 

Ashley  agreed,  saying,  "I  [became]  an 
orientation  leader  to  give  back  to  the 
Continued  on  Page  3 


ConnectEd: 
good  call 


By  Tim  McCarthy 

"I  want  to  tell  you  all  that  while  you 
were  sitting  here,  you  were  locked  in," 
Fitchburg  State  College  President  Robert 
V.  Antonucci  informed  incoming  freshman 
and  their  parents  who  had  come  to  campus 
for  a  summer  orientation  session  on  June 
10. 

He  explained  that  FSC  had  gone  into  an 
emergency,  campus-wide  lockdown  while 
an  armed-robbery  suspect  was  apprehended 
in  one  of  the  Highland  Avenue  townhous- 
es. 

Charges  against  the  suspect  -  a  Fitch- 
burg State  College  student  -  were  for- 
mally  dismissed 
on  Aug.    19   in 
Fitchburg    Dis- 
trict Court,  after 
a  grand  jury  did 
not  find  enough 
evidence        to 
indict  him. 

At  the  time, 
however,  the 
events  of  the 
day  provided 
an  excellent  test 
of  FSC's  Con- 
nectEd emergen- 
cy-alert system, 
which  passed  with  flying  colors. 

Now  mandatory  for  both  incoming  and 
returning  students,  the  ConnectEd  system 
calls  home,  cell  and  residence-hall  phones 
to  inform  students,  faculty  and  staff  of 
important  announcements.  The  system  has 
been  used  at  FSC  for  the  past  two  to  three 
years,  but  the  events  of  June  10  were  the 
first  time  the  system  was  used  in  a  "live" 
emergency  situation. 

"I  think  everything  went  as  planned  and 
prepared,"  said  Campus  Police  Chief  James 
Hamel.  "The  system  did  what  it  needed  to 
do.  Both  of  us,  the  Campus  Police  and  the 
local  authorities, 

Continued  on  Page  2 


ConnectEd  puts 
information  right 
in  students'  hands. 


FSC  plows  ahead 
with  improvements 


By  Mike  Prescott 

It  is  becoming  an  annual  tra- 
dition of  sorts  here  at  Fitchburg 
State  College:  Construction  proj- 
ects are  being  hastily  completed 
as  students  make  their  way  to 
campus  for  the  fall  semester. 

While  the  construction  may 
cause  some  temporary  inconve- 
nience, it  is  intended  to  bring 
about  lasting  improvements  to  the 
quality  of  life  -  and  study  -  on 
campus. 

"It  has  been  another  very  busy 


summer  and  hopefully  students 
and  staff  will  notice  a  number 
of  improvements,"  said  Jay  Bry, 
FSC's  assistant  vice  president  of 
administration. 

One  of  the  most  visible  projects 
involves  a  series  of  renovations  to 
the  Hammond  Campus  Center. 

The  dining  room  near  the  Com- 
muter Cafe  has  been  revamped, 
with  new  carpeting,  wall  paint, 
and  interior  finishes. 

To  top  it  off,  new  furniture  is 

Continued  on  Page  2 


Staff  photo  by  Mike  Prescott 
Construction  equipment  has  been  part  of  the  landscape  all  summer  long,  as  Fitchburg  State  College 
builds  for  the  future. 


2  ~  August  29,  2008 


THE  POINT 


Freshmen  face  major  issues 


By  Steve  Sullivan 

When  you  finish  high  school,  your 
options  are  pretty  clear-cut:  You'll  either 
go  to  college,  learn  a  trade,  get  a  job  that 
requires  no  skill,  or  hang  around  in  your 
parents'  basement  waiting  for  the  "Ameri- 
can Idol"  tryouts  to  come  to  Boston. 

If  you  choose  college,  the  questions 
get  harder.  There's  one,  in  particular,  that 
looms  over  the  heads  of  most  college  stu- 
dents: "What  am  I  going  to  do  with  this 
degree  when  I  finish?" 

As  many  students  will  tell  you,  it's  too 
important  a  decision  to  rush. 

"Take  your  time  when  you  are  choosing 
your  major,"  advised  Michael  Doherty,  a 
business-administration  student  at  Fitch- 
burg  State  College.  "Go  into  your  first 
couple  of  semesters  undecided,  try  out  a 
couple  of  areas  and  see  what  fits  you  best. 

"Myself,  I  found  business  to  be  the 
perfect  fit;  I  am  a  people  person,  can  work 
well  with  numbers  and  have  a  good  sense 
for  what  will  make  money." 

Some  majors  will  steer  you  down  a 
straight  path  from  the  moment  you  enter 
into  them. 

Majors  such  as  nursing  or  education  will 
have  you  on  such  a  strict  schedule  that  you 
won't  even  have  time  to  question  whether 
or  not  they  are  right  for  you. 

And  since  these  careers  are  in  high 
demand,  you  are  most  likely  to  have  a  job 
waiting  for  you  when  you  graduate. 

But  what  if  you  want  to  go  down  the 
creative  path? 

Jamie  Cumming,  an  FSC  film  major 
set  to  graduate  in  May  2009,  said  that  will 
require  you  to  stand  out  from  the  crowd. 


FSC  FILE  PHOTO 


Students  who  take  time  to  consider  their  interests  and  abilities  can  find  the  major  that's  right  for  them. 


"Film  can  be  a  great  major  and  possibly 
the  most  fun  you  can  have  at  school,"  she 
said. 

"But  you'd  better  be  paying  attention  in 
class  and  actually  learning  the  ins  and  outs 
of  the  industry,  because  the  only  way  you 
are  going  to  make  money  is  if  you  are  one 
of  the  best.  Nobody  is  going  to  want  to  hire 
a  mediocre  cameraman." 

So  there  you  have  it  -  some  advice  from 
people  who  have  already  been  through  it, 


felt  the  confusion  and  asked  the  questions 
you  may  be  wondering  about  right  now. 

If  it  all  starts  to  seem  overwhelming, 
though,  you  can  find  expert  help  right  on 
campus.  The  Academic  Advising  Center's 
"Focus  on  the  Future"  program  in  available 
for  students  who  want  to  make  the  right 
choices  about  their  majors  and  careers. 

Services  include  career-interest  inven- 
tories, networking  workshops  and  help  in 
resume  preparation.  The  Career  Services 


Center  is  located  on  the  second  floor  of  the 
Hammond  building,  and  can  be  reached  by 
calling  665-3151. 

Just  remember,  you  are  only  in  college 
for  a  small  chunk  of  your  life,  but  what  you 
do  here  shapes  and  molds  what  the  rest  of 
your  life  will  become. 

A  final  piece  of  advice:  Have  as  much 
fun  as  you  can  and  make  the  most  out  of 
your  experience. 


Stepping  forward 


Continued  from  Page  1 

expected  to  arrive  mid-semes- 
ter. 

On  the  G-Level  of  the  Campus 
Center,  one  of  the  most  notice- 
able changes  has  been  made, 
and  students  are  going  to  walk 
all  over  it. 

"The  most  dramatic  change  in 
the  building  is  the  refurbishment 
of  the  quarry  tile  floor,  including 
the  main  stairwell,"  Bry  said. 

The  floors  and  stairs  were 
systematically  cordoned  off  dur- 
ing July  and  August  to  complete 
the  work,  and  Bry  said  the  results 
speak  for  themselves. 

"We  have  had  faculty  and 
staff  comment  that  they  look  bet- 
ter than  they  did,  even  when  they 
were  new,"  Bry  said. 

Though  the  Campus  Center 
work  will  be  the  most  visible, 
parking  changes  will  likely  be 
the  most  talked-about  among 
students. 

Increased  surveillance  and 
security  have  been  the  focus 
for  Weston,  North  1  through  3, 
Green  1,  and  McKay  Rear  and 
Lower  lots,  all  of  which  have 
received  (or  will  be  receiving) 
new  lighting,  cameras,  and/or 
call  boxes  this  fall. 

One  new  lot  has  been  opened, 
Green  2,  as  a  result  of  the  col- 
lege's ongoing  local  property 
acquisition.  The  lot  will  have  a 
gravel  surface  this  fall,  with  an 


anticipated  conversion  to  pave- 
ment in  the  spring. 

North  4  (across  from  the  Rec- 
reation Center),  which  has  been  a 
gravel  lot  for  several  semesters, 
is  being  upgraded  to  pavement; 
however,  it  is  also  the  location  of 
the  new  Campus  Police  station. 
As  a  result,  the  lot  will  likely 
remain  closed  this  fall  as  con- 
struction continues  on  the  Police 
Station. 

North  3  has  been  expanded, 
largely  as  a  result  of  adjoining 
properly  acquisitions  by  the  col- 
lege; it  is  now  called  Congress 
Lot.  In  addition,  Weston  has  been 
reconfigured  to  a  single  entry, 
allowing  for  a  small  increase  in 
available  spaces. 

"All  lots  are  expected  to  be 
back  on  line  for  use  at  the  start  of 
the  semester,  even  while  some  of 
the  work  continues,"  Bry  said. 

Fitchburg  State  College  is,  of 
course,  a  learning  institution,  so 
several  improvements  have  also 
been  made  to  the  actual  class- 
room facilities  around  campus. 

Work  has  begun  in  the  Con- 
Ion  Building,  including  the  relo- 
cation of  Industrial  Technology 
labs,  in  preparation  of  a  several- 
phase  plan  of  improvements  to 
the  building.  Several  second- 
floor  classrooms  have  received 
makeovers,  and  by  semester's 
end,  they  will  also  receive  new 
"standard  issue"  tables  and  roll- 


Staff  photo  by  Mike  Prescott 
Gleaming  tile  floors  are  among  the  improvements  recently  made 
on  campus. 


ing  chairs  to  replace  existing 
tablet-arm  chairs,  allowing  more 
comfort  and  space  for  laptops 
and  books. 

The  admissions  office  will 
also  soon  have  a  new  home, 
as  construction  continues  in  the 
Anthony  Building  on  an  expand- 
ed and  more  welcoming  space, 
formerly  occupied  by  the  grounds 
crew.  Though  all  of  the  projects 
will  make  FSC  more  attractive 
to  both  current  and  prospective 
students,    some    glitches    have 


occurred.  "With  many  renova- 
tions, there  are  always  unexpect- 
ed susprises,  and  in  some  cases 
delays,"  Bry  said. 

The  most  significant  delay? 
The  renovation  of  Percival  Hall, 
which  includes  new  bathrooms 
and  Behavioral  Science  labs. 
Students  in  Percival  Hall  need- 
ing restroom  facilities  will  be 
directed  to  the  nearby  Thomp- 
son and  Anthony  buildings  until 
bathrooms  are  re-opened,  likely 
at  the  end  of  September. 


College 
has  a  lock 
on  safety 


Continued  from  Page  1 

have  the  same  training  with  the 
system,  so  everything  fell  into 
place." 

He  did  note  that  while  the 
system  has  so  far  been  success- 
ful, there  are  still  several  kinks  to 
iron  out. 

"We're  looking  to  upgrade  call 
boxes  on  campus  to  deliver  mes- 
sages cross-campus,"  he  said. 

He  also  noted  that  the  system 
currently  has  no  way  of  notify- 
ing visitors  to  campus  of  possible 
threats. 

Considering  the  number  of 
guests  on  campus  that  day,  Hamel 
said,  "We  were  fortunate  that 
everyone  was  in  the  Hammond 
Building." 

Many  of  the  visitors  said  they 
were  pleased  to  see  the  situation 
handled  in  a  timely  and  profes- 
sional manner. 

"The  key  thing  is  the  security 
of  the  college  community,"  Anto- 
nucci  said.  "That's  the  bottom 
line." 


THE  POINT 


August  29,  2008-  3 


FSC  FILE  PHOTO 

A  visit  to  the  bookstore  can  result  in  sticker  shock,  as  students  check  out  the  prices  on  required  texts. 

Textbooks  cost  a  bundle 


By  Chelsey  Kilgour 

With  rising  prices  at  colleges 
everywhere,  students  are  strug- 
gling to  pay  for  textbooks.  Each 
semester  students  go  to  the  col- 
lege bookstore  to  get  their  dreaded 
book  list  and  are  usually  cringing 
at  the  prices.  According  to  the 
College  Board,  the  average  stu- 
dent pays  around  S900  per  year 
for  books. 

"The  textbook  prices  are  out- 
rageous; you  pay  thousands  of 
dollars  in  tuition  and  then  end  up 
spending  hundreds  on  textbooks," 
says  Fitchburg  State  College  stu- 
dent Maggie  Horgan. 

So  why  are  textbook  prices 
sky  high?  One  reason  may  be  that 
the  companies  that  publish  the 
textbooks  produce  new  editions  of 
each  textbook  each  year,  causing 
students  to  have  to  buy  brand-new 
books. 

Companies  also  add  extras, 
such  as  tutorial  CD-ROMs,  that 
have  to  be  sold  along  with  the 
books,  causing  the  price  of  the 
whole  package  to  be  higher. 

This  process  is  called  bun- 
dling, and  it's  gotten  the  attention 
of  lawmakers  across  the  coun- 


"You  pay  thousands 
of  dollars  in  tuition 

and  then  end  up 

spending  hundreds 

on  textbooks. " 

-  Maggie  Horgan 


try.  Several  states  have  passed,  or 
are  considering,  legislation  such 
as  the  College  Textbook  Trans- 
parency Act.  This  would  require 
publishers  to  also  make  avail- 
able "unbundled"  versions  of  the 
books,  minus  expensive  add-ons 
such  as  CD-ROMS. 

Also,  publishers  would  be 
required  to  provide  book  prices  in 
marketing  materials  so  professors 
can  choose  less  expensive  books. 

In  the  meantime,  with  prices  on 
the  rise  each  year,  students  have 
been  finding  ways  to  cut  costs. 

Many  students  advertise  books 
on  campus  and  sell  them  to  other 
students  at  cheaper  prices.  You  can 
also  go  online  and  buy  used  books 


from  college  students  through- 
out the  country.  Websites  such 
as  Amazon,  Half.com,  ecampus. 
com,  and  collegeswap.com  allow 
students  to  create  accounts  for 
free  and  post  their  used  textbooks 
online  for  other  students  to  pur- 
chase. 

"I  always  check  online  as  soon 
as  I  find  out  what  my  textbooks 
are,"  Horgan  said.  "I  have  found 
expensive  books  for  as  cheap  as 
S8. 

The  only  downside  to  getting 
books  for  less  online  is  having 
them  come  in  on  time  and,  with 
the  ever-changing  new  editions, 
finding  the  right  book. 

"The  college  bookstore  prices 
are  so  expensive  compared  to 
some  of  the  online  prices  that  col- 
leges are  going  to  end  up  losing 
money,"  said  FSC  student  Jason 
McDonald. 

Most  college  bookstores  do 
allow  you  to  sell  back  books  at 
the  end  of  the  semester  for  cash 
back.  However,  because  a  lot  of 
books  come  out  with  new  edi- 
tions, the  used  books  aren't  used 
the  next  year  and  therefore  cannot 
be  sold  back. 


Orientation  leads  the  way  to  fun  and  friendships 


Continued  from  Page  1 

school,  because  of  what  the 
school  has  given  to  me." 

"Don't  be  afraid  that  you're 
going  to  look  weird  or  silly  hang- 
ing out  with  your  orientation 
group,"  said  Jennifer  Corrigan, 
also  an  orientation  leader  this 
year.  "You  will  remember  and 
know  most  of  those  people  for  the 
rest  of  your  life." 


Ashley,  Amato,  and  Corrigan 
all  had  the  same  advice  for  incom- 
ing freshmen:  to  be  involved  in  as 
much  as  they  can,  starting  with 
orientation. 

A  complete  schedule  of  ori- 
entation activities  and  events  can 
be  found  on  the  college  website, 
www.fsc.edu. 

Highlights  include: 

Aug.  3 1  -  First  Night  activities 


on  the  Quad  from  8:30  p.m.  to 
midnight 

Sept.  1  -  New  Student  Convo- 
cation from  10  to  10:30  a.m.  in 
Weston 

Sept.  2  -  Rotating  Interest  Ses- 
sions on  topics  including  Taste 
of  Fitchburg,  Financial  Fitness, 
Building  an  Online  Portfolio,  and 
Life  as  a  Commuter,  from  9:15 
a.m.  to  12:30  p.m. 


Mara  project 
leaves  some 
room  for  relief 


By  Garett  Langer 
and  Phil  Trudel 

When  the  new  addition  to 
Mara  Village  opens  in  fall 
2009,  it  will  add  125  beds  to 
the  residential  complex  -  and 
draw  a  sigh  of  relief  from 
students  who  have  had  panic 
attacks  over  where  they  were 
going  to  end  up  with  on-cam- 
pus  housing. 

It  was  only  a  year  ago,  in 
2007,  that  a  new  housing  poli- 
cy was  enacted  that  stated  that 
any  student  who  had  earned 
100  credits  or  more  would 
not  be  eligible  for  on-campus 
housing. 

"That  act  was  terrifying," 
said  Fitchburg  State  College 
student  Tiffany  Begin. 

"When  I  was  a  sophomore 
and  I  heard  that,  I  was  think- 
ing to  myself,  'That's  how 
they're  going  to  treat  their 
seniors?  Throwing  them  off 
campus?'" 

As  of  the  2008  school  year, 
the  act  was  repealed  and  is  no 
longer  in  effect. 

Building  and  renovation 
plans,  however,  are  still  in 
effect  and  going  strong. 

The  new  Mara  buildings 


boast  three  new  complex- 
es, all  with  interconnecting 
hallways  that  make  for  easy 
access  to  neighboring  build- 
ings and  facilities. 

The  blueprints  have  a  sim- 
ilar design  to  the  "classic" 
Mara  buildings,  but  will  be 
updated  in  interior  design  and 
capacity. 

"It's  nice  that  they  decided 
to  build  more  Maras,"  said 
FSC  student  Dana  Volke. 

"Mara  is  probably  the 
greener  side  of  campus  and 
it's  good  that  housing  options 
over  there  are  going  to  be 
more  accessible." 

However,  with  all  the 
advantages  the  new  Mara 
buildings  will  bring  to  the 
college,  there  have  been  short- 
term  disadvantages. 

"As  early  as  7  in  the  morn- 
ing they  start  making  noise 
and  wake  me  up,"  Rob  Bar- 
tolome  of  Mara  6  said  last 
semester. 

"Even  with  the  windows 
closed,  I  still  wake  up  every 
day  they  work  on  the  new 
Maras." 


FSC  FILE  PHOTO 
Students  find  places  to  gather  and  relax  in  the  green  areas 
around  Mara  Village. 


Campus  Police  mobilize  against  DUI 


Campus  Police  officers 
are  participating  in  a  state- 
wide mobilization  called 
"Drunk  Driving,  Over  the 
Limit,  Under  Arrest,"  through 
Sept.  3.  The  Executive  Office 


of  Public  Safety  and  Secu- 
rity has  provided  $725,000  in 
federal  grant  funding  for  this 
effort  to  reduce  the  number 
of  alcohol-related  crashes  on 
Massachusetts  roads. 


4  -  August  29,  2008 


THE  POINT 


•t"  m 


S/ITCUBVRG  STATE  COLLEGE 


</o 


September  26  and  27 


Friday,  Sept.  26 

family  Weekend  Parade 


7  p.m. 


I'V'cstoH  parking  lot  at  6:i5  p.m. 


This  Year's  Theme:  Once  Upon  a  Time 


The  parade  features  bands,  floats  and  antique 
cars.  Students,  faculty,  staff  and  families  are 
encouraged  to  participate.  Parade  Route: 
Starting  on  North  Street  in  front  of  Weston 
Auditorium,  taking  rights  on  Ross  Street, 
Highland  Avenue,  and  Pearl  Street,  then  all 
the  way  up  North  Street,  ending  at  the  Civic 
Center  parking  lot  and  Coolidge  Park  in  time 
for  the  fireworks. 


flnnual  f irszworks  display 

Coolidge  Park 

Join  the  festivities 
immediately  following  the  parade  as  we  continue 
the  weekend  with  a  fireworks  display  set  to  music! 

"6nchanted"  ©rive-In  Movie        S:30  p.m. 

I   Outside  oj  the  Landry  Ice  Rink 
After  the  fireworks,  relax  on  a  blanket  with  the 
large  screen  drive-in  movie  showing  of  Disney's 
"Enchanted." 

Saturday,  Sept.  27 

Tailgate  Isuneh 

Elliot  Field  [rain  location  h  Dining  Commons) 

Parents,  students  and  guests:  Free  with  ticket 


8  P.M. 


H  fLM.-1:30  p.m. 


f§C  football 

vs.  framingham  ebtate  College  1:30  p.m. 

Elliot  Field 

Students  and  Family:  Free  with  One  Card  and 

ticket 


General  Public:  $5 

fun  fair 


n  fi.M.-3  p.m. 


Elliot  Field 

Student  clubs  and  organizations  will  be  hosting  a  variety  of 
fundraising  booths  with  giveaways  and  activities  like  picture  mugs, 
spin  art  Frisbees,  pony  rides,  balloon  animals,  food  and  more. 

flutumn  Buffet  5  p.m.-6:30  p.m. 

Holmes  Dininij  Commons 

Parents,  families  and  guests  are  invited  to  join  Fitchburg  State's  faculty 
and  staff  for  music,  entertainment  and  dinner.  Admission  is  $8.50  per 
person  (free  for  students  on  the  meal  plan).  Pay 
by  check  with  registration  form  or  pay  by  cash  or 
check  at  the  door. 


Women's  §oeeer 

vs.  <§>alero  i>tate  College 

Elliot  Field 

Parents,  students  and  guests:  Free 


6  P.M. 


The  Magic  of  Mike  Super        8  p.m. 

Weston  Auditorium 

Tickets:        Fitchburg  State  students  with  One  Card  $7 

Family,  faculty/staff  and  alumni  $  1 0 

General  public  and  all  tickets  at  the  door  $15 

The  Magie  of  Mike  §uper 

Mike  Super's  Magic  &  Illusion 
Production  is  the  industry's 
one  stop  for  absolute 
entertainment!  The  moment 
Mike  appears  on  stage, 
the  audience  is  captivated. 
Mike  takes  the  venue  and 
transforms  it  into  a  gateway 
for  your  imagination,  thus 

creating  a  totally 

interactive  magic 

experience. 

The  audience 

literally  takes  part  in 

the  show  first  hand! 

Mike  will  make  an  audience  member  levitate  4  and  a  half  feet 
off  the  ground  with  absolutely  no  connections  of  any  kind. 
He  will  control  the  elements  and  make  it  snow  from  his  bare 
hands.  Mike  will  physically  fold  a  spectator  so  small  they  fit 
into  a  Japanese  show  box!  He  breathes  life  into  a  piece  of 
paper  and  it  actually  dances  in  a  total  stranger's  hands — and 
that's  only  10  minutes  into  the  show! 


Mike  Super  has  created  a  show  that  becomes  one  highly 
anticipated  event  guaranteed  to  bring  the  audience  to  their  feet! 
Imagine  how  great  you'll  look  by  not  only  bringing  in  a  show  with 
universal  appeal,  but  a  show  that  features  digital  music,  side-splitting 
comedy,  amazing  lighting,  and  unbelievable  magic  and  illusion — all 
totally  immersed  in  audience  participation! 

Opening  ftet: 

©ale  K:  Seriously  funny  Hypnosis  <§>how 

When  you  attend  one  of  Dale  K's 
performances,  there's  anticipation  in 
the  air  before  the  curtain  even  opens. 
After  an  informative  explanation  of 
what  you  are  about  to  see,  Dale  K  fills 
the  stage  with  willing  volunteers  from 
the  audience.  Using  simple  relaxation 
techniques,  Dale  K  eliminates  any 
and  all  stage  fright  that  the  volunteers 
may  have.  In  fact,  they  become  so 
relaxed  that  they  appear  to  be  in  a 
completely  deep  sleep. 

Although  their  eyes  are  shut  and 
bodies  relaxed  the  volunteers  are  wide 
awake  with  open  imaginations.  It's 
at  this  point  that  Dale  K  introduces  the  "power  of  suggestion"  in  an 
always  humorous  and  unconventional  manner.  His  suggestions  allow 
the  volunteers  to  unleash  hidden  confidence  and  talents  that  propel 
them  into  the  spotlight  for  the  entire  show. 


Kan 


THE  POINT 


August  29,  2008  ~  5 


S  lAFh  PHOTO  BY  NlCOUITA  AMATO 

College  knowledge:  Just  toss  that  Tupper- 
ware  in  the  trash,  and  no  one  will  accuse 
you  of  leaving  dirty  dishes  in  the  sink. 

You  know 
you're 
in  college 
when  ... 

1 .  Ramen  becomes  a  staple  in  your  diet. 

2.  You  are  allowed  to  have  a  George  Fore- 
man grill  but  not  a  toaster. 

3.  Weekends  start  on  Thursdays. 

4.  Six  in  the  morning  is  when  you  go  to 
sleep,  not  when  you  wake  up. 

5.  You  know  how  late  fast-food  restaurants 
are  open  and  which  ones  have  24-hour 
service. 

6.  You  obsessively  log  in  to  Facebook  or 
MySpace. 

7.  Quarters  are  a  prized  possession. 

8.  You  instant  message  your  roommate 
from  a  few  feet  away. 

9.  Your  idea  of  a  square  meal  is  a  box  of 
Pop-Tarts. 

1 0.  You  throw  out  Tupperware  because  you 
don't  feel  like  washing  it. 

1 1 .  You  wear  flip  flops  in  the  shower. 

12. You  skip  a  class  to  write  a  paper  for 
another  one. 

13.  Bicycles  and  skateboards  are  cool  again 
because  you  can't  afford  gas. 

14.  You  have  paid  the  same  amount  for 
books  as  you  have  for  tuition,  then  returned 
the  books  unused  for  the  price  of  a  candy 
bar. 

15.  You  have  the  local  pizza-delivery  num- 
bers programmed  into  your  cell  phone,  as 
well  as  the  Rejection  Hotline  and  Campus 
Police. 

16.  Checking  people's  away  messages 
becomes  a  hobby. 

17.  You  only  do  the  laundry  when  your 
closet  is  empty. 

18.  You  have  at  least  one  roadside  decora- 
tion in  your  room,  such  as  a  road  cone  or 
street  sign. 

19.  You  get  more  damage  bills  in  the  mail 
than  care  packages. 

20.  You  spend  five  or  more  minutes  waiting 
for  the  elevator  just  so  you  don't  have  to 
climb  the  stairs. 

-  Sarah  Taylor 


Mars  Volta:  Out  of  this  world 


By  Tom  Rlbendall 

When  first  listening  to  the  Mars  Volta's 
2008  release,  "The  Bedlam  in  Goliath," 
one  cannot  help  but  feel  completely  over- 
whelmed. Once  again,  the  progressive- 
rock  band  has  pushed  the  envelope  to  an 
entirely  new  level. 

And  local  fans  will  have  a  chance  to 
explore  that  new  level  along  with  the 
Mars  Volta  on  Sept.  14,  when  the  band's 
tour  in  support  of  this  new  CD  comes  to 
the  Sun  Orpheum  Theater  in  Boston. 

The  CD  itself  wastes  no  time  getting 
down  to  business  with  the  first  track, 
"Aberinkula." 

Cedric  Bixler-Zavala  comes  in  imme- 
diately with  his  signature  high-pitched 
wail,  backed  by  an  intense  bass  scale, 
pounding  percussion  and  the  sonic, 
effect-ridden  guitar  stylings  of  the  band's 
mastermind,  Omar  Rodriguez-Lopez. 

Rodriguez-Lopez  apparently 

had  intensity  in  mind  for  this  album, 
because  "Goliath"  does  not  let  up.  After 
"Aberinkula"  finishes  with  an  anthemic 
guitar  riff,  "Metatron"  begins  without  a 
moment's  notice  and  continues  for  over 
eight  minutes  of  groovy,  distorted  bass 
with  a  Spanish  zest. 

"Hyena"  follows  as  one  of  the  lighter 
(in  terms  of  mood)  songs  on  the  CD,  but 
really  showcases  the  speed  and  talent  of 
The  Mars  Volta's  new  drummer,  Thomas 
Pridgen.  His  non-stop  sticking  and  intri- 
cate fills  flirt  marvelously  with  Juan 
Alderete's  funky  bass  lines,  making  this 
album  clearly  their  drum-and-bass  album 
in  comparison  to  their  past  studio  albums: 
"De-Loused  in  the  Comatorium,"  "Fran- 
ces the  Mute"  and  "Amputechture." 

The  intensity  rolls  on  with  the  short 
but  powerful  single  "Wax  Simulacra." 
This  is  where  vocalist  Bixler-Zavala  puts 
Geddy  Lee  to  shame  with  his  calculated 
shrill  cries,  beautifully  orchestrated  with 
Southern  horns  and  even  at  times  dual- 
tracked,  uncommon  for  the  band. 

The  fifth  track  is  named  for  Goliath 
and  features  some  of  their  best  work 
ever:  rock  organ  tones,  mind-bending 
guitar  solos  and  more  intricate  bass  and 
drum  play. 

"Tourniquet  Man,"  the  slowest  and 
least  interesting  song  on  the  CD,  is  also 
the  shortest,  clocking  in  at  2:38. 

But  wasting  only  those  two  and  a  half 
minutes,  the  band  jumps  right  back  into 
hyper  speed  with  "Calvettas"  and  then 
the  most  unusual  piece  on  the  album, 
"Agadez."  Once  again,  it  starts  with  the 
drum  and  bass  locked  in  a  creepy  groove 
backed  with  electronics.  Soon  Bixler- 
Zavala  comes  in  with  more  finely  crafted 
linguistic  puzzles: 

I  should  have  known 
You'd  always  scratch  that  itch 
When  you  asked  me  for  safe  passage 
On  my  shoulders  where  we  slid 
And  just  before  you  laid 
Dead  weight  upon  its  shores 
I  stung  you  in  the  face 
For  that's  the  nature  of  my  core 


The  Mars  Volta  is  set  to  play  Sept.  14  at  the  Sun  Orpheum  Theater  in  Boston. 


The  song  continues  with  two 
more  movements,  one  with  more  Span- 
ish flair  and  African  percussion,  and  then 
the  band  moves  back  to  their  roots  with  a 
hardcore-punk  ending. 

The  next  song,  "Askepios,"  builds 
and  falls  and  builds  and  falls  with  an 
eerie  tension  to  it,  highlighted  by  more  of 
Bixler-Zavala's  ear-piercing  vocals. 

"Ouroboros,"  the  10tn  track,  is  by 
far  the  heaviest  song  the  band  has  ever 
produced.  Distorted,  palm-muted  guitars 
climb  high  and  low  alongside  the  bass 
line  while  Bixler-Zavala  actually  brings 
his  voice  to  a  masculine  level,  only  to 
be  brought  back  up  high  for  the  catchy 
chorus,  and  then  even  higher  for  the 
extremely  trippy  breakdown. 

The  song  ends  with  mellow  keyboards 
which  lead  into  the  epic  masterpiece, 
"Soothsayer." 

The  song  opens  with  Middle  East- 
ern-sounding string  instruments.  Upon 
entrance  of  Rodriguez-Lopez's  guitars, 
the  listener  may  experience  a  synthetic 
acid  trip.  Somehow,  the  guitar  manages 
to  sound  similar  to  a  sitar  plugged  into 
a  wah  pedal  being  rocked  back  and  forth 
erratically. 

"Soothsayer,"  meaning  "one  who  pre- 
dicts future  events  based  on  personal 
beliefs  instead  of  common  reasoning," 
is  the  pinnacle  of  "The  Bedlam  in  Goli- 
ath"; all  of  the  energy  culminates  here 
and  explodes  with  Bixler-Zavala's  poetic 
lyricism: 

My  love  becomes  a  mange 
dyeing  autumn  in  its  leaves 


when  it  broke  me  in  the  branch 
where  my  antlers  come  to  feed 
and  I  swam  a  hundred  days 
in  the  bosom  of  this  filth 
carry  on  this  drought 
as  I  tighten  this  belt 

"The  Bedlam  in  Goliath"  was  inspired 
by  a  Ouija  board  that  Rodriguez-Lopez 
found  in  Jerusalem  and  gave  to  Bixler- 
Zavala  as  a  gift.  The  board,  which  they 
called  "Soothsayer,"  allowed  three  differ- 
ent entities,  collectively  known  as  Goli- 
ath, to  communicate  with  the  band.  Goli- 
ath is  supposedly  responsible  for  many  of 
the  lyrics  on  the  final  track  of  the  album, 
"Conjugal  Burns." 

During  touring  and  writing  the  new 
album,  strange  things  began  to  happen  to 
the  band  including  injuries,  loss  of  band 
members,  disappearance  of  recorded 
material,  the  flooding  of  the  studio  and 
the  mental  breakdown  of  the  band's  engi- 
neer, who  held  the  band's  studio  hostage 
claiming,  "You're  trying  to  do  something 
very  bad  with  this  record  ..."  The  band 
attributed  these  misfortunes  to  the  talking 
board  and  thus  buried  it  in  an  undisclosed 
location. 

"The  Bedlam  in  Goliath"  was 
released  on  both  CD  and  on  a  limited- 
edition  USB  drive  shaped  as  a  Ouija 
planchette.  The  CD  is  well  worth  your 
cash,  running  just  over  75  minutes  in 
length  and  boasting  talented  musicians 
including  John  Frusciante  of  the  Red  Hot 
Chili  Peppers. 

Don't  miss  this  psychedelic  rock 
movement! 


Scholarship  helps  student  build  toward  the  future 


Fitchburg  State  College  student  Sean 
R.  Cruise,  of  Lakeville,  was  named  the 
2008  Daniel  A.  Mahoney  Scholarship 
recipient  during  a  recent  presentation  at 
the  college. 

J.M.  Coull,  Inc.  President  Andrew 
Coull,  and  Fitchburg  State  alumnus  and 
current  Coull  project  manager  Mark 
Moschella  presented  Cruise  with  the 
$1,000  scholarship. 


Named  for  a  longtime  employee  of 
J.M.  Coull  who  exemplified  profession- 
alism in  construction  management,  the 
Daniel  A.  Mahoney  Scholarship  will  be 
given  each  year  for  five  years  to  a  quali- 
fied industrial  technology/construction 
technology  junior-year  student.  Coull, 
based  in  Maynard,  offers  construction 
management,  design/build,  and  general 
contracting  services. 


"Sean's  outstanding  academics  and 
professional  skills  exemplify  the  caliber 
of  students  in  our  program,"  said  James 
Andrews,  associate  professor  of  indus- 
trial technology. 

"This  scholarship  further  solidifies  our 
relationship  with  J.M.  Coull  and  helps  us 
in  our  mission  of  supporting  construction 
technology  professionals  at  Fitchburg 
State." 


6  ~  August  29,  2008 


THE  POINT 


Moviegoers  can't  count  on  '21' 


By  Leanne  Belgiorno 

With  rising  tuition  and  the 
student-loan  crisis  in  the  news, 
how  is  a  student  to  pay  for  higher 
education? 

Columbia  Pictures  "21"  has  a 
suggestion:  Go  to  Las  Vegas  and 
win  big  in  blackjack. 

That's  the  premise  of  this  PG- 
rated  film,  which  was  released 
just  last  month  on  DVD. 

It  stars  Jim  Sturgess  as  Ben 
Campbell,  a  working-class  Mas- 
sachusetts Institute  of  Technology 
student  who  has  been  accepted  to 
Harvard  Medical  School  but  needs 
to  raise  $300,000  for  tuition. 

Campbell  and  a  group  of  his 
fellow  MIT  students  -  recruited 
and  led  by  their  math  professor, 
Micky  Rosa  (Kevin  Spacey)  - 
learn  to  beat  the  casino  odds  with 
card-counting.  The  group  travels 
to  Las  Vegas  on  the  weekends  and 
cheats  the  casino's  system.  Even- 
tually, Campbell's  growing  greed 
and  arrogance  draw  the  attention 
of  Cole  Williams  (Laurence  Fish- 
burne),  a  casino-security  special- 
ist who  is  determined  to  stop  the 
group. 

This  movie  was  very  disap- 
pointing, especially  if  you  have 
read  the  book  "Bringing  Down 
the  House:  The  Inside  Story  of  Six 
MIT  Students  Who  Took  Vegas 
for  Millions,"  by  Ben  Mezrich. 

The  movie  used  only  one  scene 


When  the  chips  are  down,  Ben  Campbell  (Jim  Sturgess)  turns  to  blackjack  to  earn  his  Harvard  tuition. 


from  the  original  story:  the  "test 
run."  In  this  scene,  the  group 
brings  Campbell  to  an  alleyway 
to  test  his  new  skills.  Beyond  that 
scene,  the  movie  detaches  itself 
from  the  book  with  a  series  of 
small  but  discouraging  changes. 


The  book  offered  a  very  easy 
story  to  adapt  to  a  movie,  and  yet 
they  did  not  use  it  to  its.  fullest 
extent. 

The  actors  in  "21"  were  not 
used  to  their  fullest  extent,  either. 
Spacey     and     Fishburne,     two 


extremely  seasoned  and  proven 
actors,  basically  play  themselves. 
There  were  not  any  tweaks  to  their 
roles  or  certain  characteristics  that 
made  the  characters  stand  out. 

The  pacing  of  the  123 -minute 
movie  was  also  very  distracting. 


While  some  scenes  were  excruci- 
atingly long,  others  were  far  too 
short.  For  example,  when  Camp- 
bell was  deciding  whether  to  join 
the  group  or  not,  there  was  not 
enough  exposition  to  convince 
the  audience  of  his  decision.  This 
section  of  the  movie  should  have 
stretched  further  on,  rather  than 
being  cut  down  into  a  few  short 
scenes. 

The  narration  was  far  too  in- 
depth  for  the  movie.  Rather  than 
allowing  the  actions  of  the  char- 
acters to  show  the  story,  it  simply 
told  the  audience  what  was  hap- 
pening. For  example,  at  one  point 
Campbell  is  standing  on  a  balcony 
looking  discouraged;  the  narra- 
tion literally  says,  "I  was  sad." 
This  was  unnecessary  and  took 
away  from  the  scene. 

The  movie's  soundtrack  was 
also  very  disappointing.  It  con- 
sisted of  dated  songs  that  were 
never  truly  in  tune  with  the  tone 
of  the  scenes.  These  songs  were 
used  in  a  series  of  bad  montages 
that  would  stop  for  a  minute  to  tell 
a  joke  and  then  start  up  again. 

The  ending  was  also  very  cli- 
che and  predictable,  to  the  point 
where  halfway  through  the  movie 
you  have  guessed  the  twist. 

All  and  all,  "21"  was  a  dis- 
appointing movie  with  mistakes 
too  blunt  and  easily  fixed  to  be 
forgivable. 


Who  could  resist 
this  new 
'Morton' DVD? 


By  Lauren  Greally 

Dr.  Seuss'  "Horton  Hears  a 
Who"  was  a  childhood  favorite, 
and  now,  about  15  years  since  I 
had  first  read  the  book,  I  still  love 
the  story. 

The  animated  movie  version, 
which  came  out  just  last  month  on 
DVD,  offers  a  great  example  of 
how  a  childhood  story  can  stand 
the  test  of  time  and  still  entertain 
a  college  student. 

Screenwriters  Ken  Daurio  and 
Cinco  Paul  stay  true  to  the  1954 
Seuss  classic,  and  20*  Century 
Fox  Animation  brings  it  to  life 
with  the  same  flashy  and  outra- 
geous colors  Seuss  was  famous 
for. 

Jim  Carrey  lends  his  talents 
to  voice  Horton,  the  lovable  ele- 
phant. His  interaction  with  Steve 
Carell,  the  voice  of  The  Mayor  of 
Whoville,  makes  for  very  come- 
dic  conversations. 

Wisecracks  start  right  from  the 
introductions,  when  the  Mayor 
of  Whoville  tells  Horton  that  he 


"You  just  take 
care  of  that 
meatball,  sir, 
and  leave  the 
freaking  out 
to  me. ' 


Horton 


has  96  daughters  and  one  son, 
at  which  Horton  laughs,  "Whoa! 
Busy  guy!" 

Teamwork  is  on  the  agenda, 
as  well. 

For  example,  when  the  Mayor 
of  Whoville  says,  "Listen,  Horton, 
I've  gotta  go.  Apparently  there's  a 
problem  with  a  giant  meatball," 
Horton  jumps  right  in  to  help.  He 
tells  the  mayor,  "You  just  take 
care  of  that  meatball,  sir,  and 
leave  the  freaking  out  to  me." 

Directors  Jimmy  Hayward  and 


'Horton  Hears  a  Who '  shares  the  timeless  message  of  Dr.  Seuss '  classic  tale. 


Steve  Martino  guide  the  other 
voices,  including  Carol  Burnett, 
Will  Arnet,  Seth  Rogen,  Dan 
Fogler,  Isla  Fisher,  Jonah  Hill, 
Jesse  McCartney,  Jaime  Pressly, 
Amy  Poehler,  and  Joey  King  (the 
voice  of  my  favorite  character, 
Katie)  just  to  name  a  few. 

In  the  movie,  Horton,  in  the 
Jungle  of  Nool,  hears  something 
on  a  speck. 


He  increasingly  becomes 
obsessed  with  finding  out  what 
this  speck  is  and  why  there  are 
people  on  it,  so  he  protects  it  from 
his  neighbors. 

No  one  else  believes  that 
Horton  hears  something  on  that 
speck,  so  he  tries  to  get  it  to  a 
safe  place. 

Horton  goes  through  obstacles 


set  forth  by  Kangaroo  (she  wants 
the  speck  destroyed),  until  the  res- 
idents of  Whoville  are  heard  and 
Horton's  faithfulness  is  rewarded. 

In  the  end,  as  the  narrator 
expains,  Horton  teaches  us  all  an 
important  lesson:  "A  person  is  a 
person,  no  matter  how  small." 

"Horton  Hears  a  Who"  gets  a 
big  thumbs-up. 

It's  rated  G,  and  it  really  is  a 
movie  for  all  ages. 


THE  POINT 


August  29,  2008  ~  7 


Game  may 
ust  feel 
:oo  real 


By  Robert  Bartolome 

To  the  disgust  of  many  protesters,  com- 
munities, and  even  states,  Grand  Theft 
Auto  IV  became  an  instant  blockbuster 
when  it  was  released  in  May.  with  sales 
above  S500  million  worldwide  in  the  first 
week  alone. 

Just  as  the  entire  franchise  has  done, 
the  game  stretches  boundaries  and  breaks 
just  about  every  moral  written.  It  has  been 
banned  in  several  countries,  including  Thai- 
land, where  earlier  this  month  a  teenage 
gamer  killed  a  man  while  acting  out  one  of 
GTA's  carjacking  scenes  -  the  teen  said  he 
wanted  to  see  how  it  felt  in  real  life. 

And  in  fact,  as  I  played  this  most  recent 
installment  of  Grand  Theft  Auto,  I  wa-> 
often  left  with  the  question,  "Is  this  too 
real?" 

I  step  off  the  sidewalk  and  begin  cross- 
ing the  street  when  a  beat-up,  Honda-esque 
car  slams  into  me,  knocking  me  onto  the 
ground.  Niko,  the  main  character  that  I 
control,  slowly  stumbles  to  his  feet  as  the 
driver  of  the  car,  a  young  blond  woman, 
runs  over  to  help,  


Street  crime  seems  to  take  on  a  life  of  its  own  in  Grand  Theft  Auto  IV. 


taking  off  and  landing  at  the  Liberty  City 
airport.  The  entire  experience  is  more  real 
than  any  virtual  city  ever  created. 

Each  citizen  of  Liberty  City  walks  with 
a  destination  in  mind,  and  in  many  cases 
I've  witnessed  funny  or  action-packed 
moments  while  simply  standing  around  and 


screaming.  With- 
out hesitation,  a 
pistol  is  pulled 
out  and  fires  one 
round  into  her 
chest.  She  falls 
instantly  to  the 
ground,  dead. 

This    is    nor- 
mal activity  for 

all  of  the  games  

in  the  series,  and 

similar  events  take  place  during  about  80 
percent  of  gameplay.  However,  this  time  it 
made  me  feel  a  little  different. 

Seeing  the  woman's  body  fall  to  the 
ground  actually  made  me  feel  . . .  bad. 

This  is  partially  due  to  the  game's  incred- 
ible graphics  design.  The  streets  teem  with 
realistic-looking  people  and  cars;  buildings 
reflect  sunlight,  casting  shadows  every- 
where; in  the  distance,  planes  can  be  seen 


The  streets  teem  with  realistic-looking  people  and  cars; 

buildings  reflect  sunlight,  casting  shadows  everywhere; 

in  the  distance,  planes  can  be  seen  taking  off  and 

landing  at  the  Liberty  City  airport.  The  entire 

experience  is  more  real  than  any 

virtual  city  ever  created. 


watching  passersby.  Once,  for  example,  I 
watched  a  man  pick  a  fight  with  someone 
who  bumped  into  him,  and  eventually  get 
chased  down  and  arrested  by  a  nearby  cop. 
I've  witnessed  minor  automobile  acci- 
dents that  have  fueled  major  arguments. 
I've  even  seen  people  sitting  on  park  bench- 
es, waiting  for  someone  to  meet  them.  The 
city  lives  and  breathes,  really  creating  the 
impression  that  you  are  merely  one  person 


on  an  island  of  thousands. 

Rockstar,  the  creator  of  the  GTA  fran- 
chise, always  makes  a  point  of  licensing  the 
best  selection  of  music  available,  to  supply 
the  radio  stations  in  the  game.  This  could 
be  the  best  soundtrack  yet,  mixing  genres 
like  classic  rock,  alternative,  reggae,  reg- 
gaeton,  and  hip- 
hop  to  make  up 
over  150  songs. 

One  of  the 
most  interest- 
ing things  comes 
out  of  Rockstar 's 
new  collabora- 
tion with  Ama- 
zon.com. When 
you  hear  a  song 
on  the  radio,  you 
dial  a  number  on 
your  in-game  cell  phone,  and  within  a 
few  seconds  you  receive  a  text  telling  you 
the  name  of  the  track  and  the  artist.  All 
you  need  to  do  is  go  to  Amazon's  special 
GTAIV  Download  Store,  and  the  song  is 
waiting  for  you.  It's  both  easy  and  quick, 
and  has  already  stolen  quite  a  few  dollars 
from  me. 

Details  such  as  that  add  a  lot  to  the 
experience,  but  the  real  magic  lies  in  the 


gameplay  and  story. 

At  the  start  of  the  game,  Niko  Bellic 
lands  in  Liberty  City  on  a  boat,  and  you 
immediately  take  control.  From  then  on, 
it  is  up  to  you  to  rise  up  the  career  ladder 
of  success  -  illegally.  You  meet  an  eclectic 
cast  of  characters  and  face  many  choices 
that  affect  the  outcome  of  the  game. 

The  controls  are  about  the  same  as  pre- 
vious titles,  simple  and  fun,  but  they  have 
improved  a  lot  of  issues.  For  example,  the 
targeting  system  is  much  more  developed 
and  allows  for  a  better  gun-aiming  experi- 
ence. There  are  also  some  added  controls, 
such  as  the  ability  to  pick  up  pieces  of  gar- 
bage on  the  ground  -  cans,  bottles,  bricks 
-  and  throw  them. 

The  most  surprising  addition  is  the 
option  to  turn  a  vehicle's  high  beams  on 
and  off.  It  proves  absolutely  pointless  in 
the  long-run,  but  it  is  really  a  lot  of  fun  to 
flash  cops  as  they  drive  by. 

All  in  all,  the  Grand  Theft  Auto  IV 
proves  to  be  one  of  the  top  games  of  2008, 
with  amazing  graphics,  fun  gameplay,  a 
great  soundtrack,  and  a  well-crafted  story. 
As  long  as  you  can  move  past  all  of  the 
moral  objections  you  might  get  from  the 
realism  of  the  game,  it  is  entertainment  at 
its  finest! 


Knights  shine  at  college 


By  Joe  Whitney 

With  classes,  exams,  jobs, 
internships,  clubs,  sports,  and 
active  social  lives,  college  stu- 
dents have  plenty  to  keep  them 
busy.  Yet  some  feel  the  need  to 
do  even  more,  to  help  others  as 
well  as  themselves. 

For  Fitchburg  State  College 
student  Pat  Hegarty,  the  need 
to  make  a  difference  has  led 
to  membership  in  the  Knights 
of  Columbus.  Hegarty  believes 
firmly  in  the  values  the  Knights 
advocate:  "charity,  unity,  frater- 
nity and  patriotism." 

In  terms  of  charity,  "The 
Knights  do  a  lot  for  the  commu- 
nity, such  as  collecting  dona- 
tions for  special-needs  chil- 
dren," Hegarty  said. 

Unity  and  fraternity?  With 
1.7  million  members,  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  is  the 
world's  largest  Roman  Catho- 
lic  fraternal-service   organiza- 


tion, and  Hegarty  said  the  bond 
between  the  Knights  is  very 
strong.  "There  is  a  great  broth- 
erhood among  the  Knights,"  he 
said.  "You  feel  like  you're  a 
part  of  something  special." 

Patriotism?  Knights  volun- 
teer in  veterans'  hospitals  and 
organize  programs,  such  as 
Treats  for  Troops,  to  support 
and  show  gratitude  to  the  mili- 
tary. 

Yet  for  all  that  the  members 
do,  Hegarty  said,  the  Knights  of 
Columbus  organization  does  not 
require  a  great  sacrifice.  "Time 
is  really  the  only  thing  you  have 
to  give  up,"  said  Hegarty. 

And,  he  said,  joining  will 
not  take  huge  chunks  from  your 
schedule:  "Meetings  take  place 
about  twice  a  month,  and  usu- 
ally only  last  roughly  30  min- 
utes," Hegarty  said. 

How  does  someone  get  his 
foot  into  a  meeting?  Member- 


ship  is  open  to  practicing  Cath- 
olic  men  over  the  age  of  18. 

Understanding  and  commit- 
ting to  the  concept  of  the  orga- 
nization is  key.  "Your  sponsor 
will  speak  on  your  behalf  at 
the  ceremony,  saying  that  you 
are  a  good  candidate  at  the  first 
degree,"  points  out  Hegarty. 

The  Knights  seem  to  run 
in  the  Hegarty  family.  Terry 
Hegarty,  Pat's  older  brother, 
joined  the  organization  first. 

"I  joined  to  become  more 
involved  in  service  projects," 
said  Terry  Hegarty.  "I  think  the 
biggest  reward  is  the  fraternity, 
and  getting  to  know  a  lot  of  dif- 
ferent people." 


No  hospitality  for  teens? 


By  Kate  Rouleau 

Cassandra  Ilfeld,  a  19-year  old- 
student  at  Fitchburg  State  Col- 
lege, wasn't  expecting  any  trouble 
when  she  planned  a  trip  to  Wash- 
ington, D.C.  She  booked  her  flight 
with  no  problem,  and  then  went 
online  to  book  a  hotel  room. 

Ilfeld  found  an  inexpensive 
hotel  that  satisfied  all  her  needs. 
But  when  she  went  to  book  the 
room  on  Hotwire.com,  she  read 
the  following:  "Primary  guest 
must  be  at  least  21  years  old 
and  present  at  check-in.  The  hotel 
will  require  a  valid  credit  card  in 
the  primary  guest's  name.  The 
credit  card  must  include  available 
credit  for  incidental  expenses. 
Debit/check  cards  are  not  typi- 
cally accepted." 

In  speaking  with  friends,  Ilfeld 
found  that  others  had  noticed  this 
policy,  too  -  and  were  equally  baf- 
fled by  it.  Why,  they  wondered,  is 
it  OK  for  college  students  under 
21  to  buy  cigarettes,  drive,  and 


even  fight  in  a  war,  but  not  to 
book  a  hotel  room? 

When  asked  this  question,  a 
Hotwire  customer-service  repre- 
sentative had  only  one  answer: 
"You  have  to  be  an  adult  or  be 
accompanied  by  an  adult." 

The  American  Civil  Liberties 
Union  addressed  this  issue  back 
in  2004,  according  to  its  website, 
when  it  "filed  an  age-discrimina- 
tion lawsuit  against  a  Detroit  hotel 
that  refused  to  rent  a  room  to  a 
20-year-old  Army  Reservist  and 
his  1 8-year-old  girlfriend  because 
they  were  too  young." 

Yet  the  practice  persists,  and 
travelers  under  21  are  left  to  read 
the  find  print. 

Not  all  online  booking  services 
have  these  restrictions.  To  book 
with  Expedia.com,  a  person  needs 
to  be  17  or  older;  with  Travelocity. 
com,  there  is  no  age  limit  listed. 

Individual  hotels'  policies  vary, 
too,  so  it's  a  good  idea  to  make 
sure  there's  no  21 -plus  policy. 


8  ~  August  29,  2008 


THE  POINT 


FSC  education  leads  to  Emmy  nomination 


Fitchburg  State  College  alumna  Melanie 
Perkins  has  received  an  Emmy  nomination 
for  her  2007  documentary  "Have  You  Seen 
Andy?" 

"It  was  wonderful  news.  It  brought 
sense  of  justice  in  Andy's  case,"  said  Per- 
kins, '91,  who  studied  communications 
media  at  FSC.  She  is  a  1984  Ayer  High 
School  graduate. 

"Have  You  Seen  Andy?"  is  up  for  the 
News  &  Documentary  Emmy  Award  for 
Outstanding  Investigative  Journalism  - 
Long  Form.  Other  nominees  in  the  cat- 
egory include  an  MSNBC   investigation 


"Mississippi  Cold  Case";  and  the  Oxygen 
channel's  "Slave  Girls  of  India"  with  cor- 
respondent Lisa  Ling.  The  awards  will  be 
presented  in  a  ceremony  on  Sept.  22  in 
New  York  City. 

Perkins  screened  the  film  last  year  at 
Fitchburg  State  and  in  her  hometown  of 
Lawrence.  She  said  her  studies  at  FSC  built 
a  foundation  for  her  film  career.  In  fact, 
when  Perkins  found  out  about  the  Emmy 
nomination,  she  sent  an  e-mail  announce- 
ment to  a  long  list  of  people,  including  her 
former  professor  George  Bohrer. 

"The  education  there  really   set  the 


groundwork  for  me  being  able  to  accom- 
plish what  I  have.  Faculty  helped  you  learn 
about  the  equipment  and  you  had  access 
to  make  a  film  right  away,"  Perkins  said. 
"They  just  put  a  camera  in  your  hand  and 
said,  'Go  do  it.'  There  wasn't  a  question 
about  what  anyone  was  capable  of.  They 
taught  me  that  if  you  could  put  your  mind 
to  it,  you  could  do  anything." 

The  film,  released  in  2007  on  HBO,  is 
the  personal  story  of  a  childhood  friend- 
ship abruptly  ended  by  abduction.  One  day 
in  August  1976,  10-year-old  Andy  Puglisi 
was  playing  at  the  Higgins  Memorial  Pool 


in  Lawrence.  Then  suddenly,  he  disap- 
peared. Twenty-two  years  later,  filmmaker 
Melanie  Perkins,  Andy's  childhood  friend, 
began  her  search  for  answers. 

Perkins'  "Have  You  Seen  Andy?"  uncov- 
ers new  information  about  the  unsolved 
disappearance  and  the  initial  police  investi- 
gation. The  filmmaker's  persistence  forces 
the  police  to  re-open  the  investigation  after 
more  than  20  years.  As  a  child  who  grew  up 
with  Andy's  family  and  friends,  Perkins  has 
privileged  access  to  the  people  who  knew 
Andy  best.  "Have  You  Seen  Andy?"  brings 
the  viewer  inside  this  unsolved  case. 


Capt.  Anna  Morgan,  MD 
JBrooke  Army 
Medical  Center,  Texas 


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EARN  YOUR  DEGREE, 

THE  RESPECT  OF  YOUR  PEERS  AND 

MORE  THAN  $1,600  PER  MONTH. 

Students  accepted  into  an  accredited  medical  or  dental  school  are 
eligible  for  our  Medical  and  Dental  School  Stipend  Program.  In  addition 
to  more  than  $1f600  per  month  for  living  expenses,  MDSSP  gives 
you  a  head  start  on  your  career.  Your  Army  Reserve  training  provides 
invaluable  experience  alongside  outstanding  medical  professionals  and 
a  major  advantage  over  your  peers.  Most  importantly,  as  a  member 
of  the  U.S.  Army  Health  Care  Team,  you'll  earn  the  gratitude  of  our 
Soldiers,  their  Families  and  your  nation. 


Gain  your  Strength  to  Heal.  Contact 
Bradley  Paxton  at  888-258-1098  or 
bradley.paxton@usarec.army.mil.  For  more 
information,  visit  healthcare.goarmy.com. 

©2007.  Paid  for  by  the  United  States  Army.  All  rights  reserved. 


I  U.S.ARMY 


ARMY  STRONG.